


starting line

by clearlykero



Category: Free!
Genre: Drunken Shenanigans, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-15 14:52:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16065446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clearlykero/pseuds/clearlykero
Summary: "You're a minor, you can't even have drinks," Natsuya says, eyeing him narrowly. Yamazaki doesn't seem like the type for underage drinking, but one never knows.Yamazaki does his ridiculously charming half-laugh thing and says, "You're the one who asked me out, Kirishima-san.""So I did," says Natsuya, as if that makes anything better.





	starting line

**Author's Note:**

  * For [calmgeyama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/calmgeyama/gifts).



> written on commission!

When they run into each other again in the parking lot leaving the training camp, Natsuya knows they're both thinking about their dramatic parting and how intensely awkward it is to make eye contact with each other after that. So Natsuya, in what is possibly the most spur-of-the-moment decision of his life, invites Yamazaki out for drinks. It's not that he's drunk, although now he's planning to be just to forget the embarrassment. He's just— he has no idea. Yamazaki, whom he has met only enough times to count on one hand and have fingers left over, mimes flipping a coin and then says yes, much to Natsuya's shock. 

"You're a minor, you can't even have drinks," Natsuya says, eyeing him narrowly. Yamazaki doesn't seem like the type for underage drinking, but one never knows.

Yamazaki does his ridiculously charming half-laugh thing and says, "You're the one who asked me out, Kirishima-san."

"So I did," says Natsuya, as if that makes anything better. 

They exchange numbers and get on their respective buses, and Natsuya spends the whole journey back worrying about the ethics of coming on to a guy his brother's age. (He can even hear Nao's voice in his head telling him very kindly that he's worrying too much, but since Nao tells him that no matter what he's worrying about he's learned to ignore it.)

When he gets back from the joint training camp, inevitably it's Ikuya who takes up most of his thoughts. So he sets the matter of Yamazaki aside until he watches Haruka draw the curtain back from his brother's shuttered heart, and in turn break the shackles on Natsuya's own. Then, he has his own future racing ahead of him, his head bursting with dreams rediscovered. There just isn't time for his sort-of interest. Really.

It takes a month of Natsuya's avoidance for Yamazaki to be the one to send him a message on LINE, and all it says is:  _ katsu curry tomorrow? _

_ yamazaki i asked you out for drinks not food,  _ replies Natsuya, after a fierce internal struggle when he sees the notification.  _ are you even in tokyo? _

_ yes,  _ says Yamazaki, and,  _ i'm still a minor, so i asked serizawa-san what else you like. _

_ how do you know nao? _

But Yamazaki just gives him a location in Kyoubashi, and the time of 7pm. Natsuya frowns at his phone. He sends back an audio sticker of Ketakuma and hopes Yamazaki is in a quiet place with lots of people. Like a library. He watches his phone for the 'read' sign while he does his bicep curls, but even after he's done his whole arm routine Yamazaki still hasn't seen his message.

"Am I a girl," Natsuya asks himself, turns his phone over with a huff and goes to bed without showering.

He takes the train to Takarachou station the next day, freshly washed and shaved and wearing the cologne Nao got him for his birthday. He wonders if Yamazaki is going to dress up too— if this is a date or just a regular dinner. Natsuya thinks he's a forward kind of guy, but if Matsuoka didn't get it, who's to say his (probably) best friend would either?

Yamazaki is waiting for him outside the ticket gates. He's dressed nicely after all, in a deep green sweater that makes him look even broader than he is. Natsuya immediately hooks his arm around Yamazaki's neck and pulls him into a hug, gratified when Yamazaki returns the hug with only a little hesitation.

"Been a while, Yamazaki," he says, letting go and grinning. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Yamazaki answers. He bumps his fist against Natsuya's when it's offered. "Might have some news for you over dinner."

"News?" Natsuya asks, but Yamazaki is irritatingly tight-lipped about it, so he gives up and makes other small talk. In the four minutes it takes them to walk to the restaurant, Natsuya learns that Yamazaki likes all kinds of meat but tonkatsu most of all, that Matsuoka is indeed his best friend, that his family business is a restaurant, and that Yamazaki won't be succeeding it.

"It's ticket style, the machine is just under the window," Yamazaki says of the curry restaurant they've finally reached, before Natsuya can ask about his family's. Natsuya graciously lets him drop the subject. He turns to the ticket machine, scans the options and makes a beeline for 'ginger highball', pressing the button twice. And then, after some deliberation, once more, which makes Yamazaki laugh.

"Hey, you're paying, I have to get my money's worth," says Natsuya. He picks his actual food and moves aside expectantly.

"Why am I paying?" Yamazaki doesn't put in money yet, but presses the soft drink bar option instead of alcohol, and the same pork loin cheese curry as Natsuya. "You asked me out, back at the camp."

"I have a policy of not spoiling younger guys," Natsuya informs him, "and besides, you picked the place."

"You say that as if it's logical." Despite his complaint, Yamazaki adds an order of gyoza and pays for the tickets agreeably. "Next time it's your turn."

The place is noisy and a bit cramped, with only a counter facing the kitchen and a few tables, but the food is excellent and the highballs are much stronger than Natsuya expects. They also come in mugs the size of his head, so halfway through his second one Natsuya is already out of it.

"You know, I wanted to tell you something but I'm not sure you'll remember it in the morning." Yamazaki is eyeing him with a wry tilt to his mouth that Natsuya wants to kiss.

"I'm not drunk," Natsuya says, attempting to get at the last gyoza on the plate. He misses and stabs the table instead. "I'll remember everything." Yamazaki, as if he knows this is not necessarily true, sighs fondly. It reminds him of Nao.

"Well, I told you about the surgery, last time. So I did it, and it— it went well." Natsuya stops fumbling with his cutlery. This, too, reminds him of Nao, but it's not a particularly good memory. He pushes Nao-thoughts away and looks up. Yamazaki has his hands clasped together in his lap, and he's looked away, acting like he hasn't just dropped a bomb in the middle of the table. He looks like he doesn't know what to expect from Natsuya's reaction, which is ridiculous.

"So you gonna be my rival now?" Natsuya picks up the gyoza with his fingers and proceeds to shove it in his mouth whole. "I  _ really  _ want to race you."

Yamazaki laughs a little, hands unclasping. "I think I already have one of those. But I'll join you, soon. On that stage. Serizawa-san is helping me with rehabilitation, that's how I know him."

"I  _ see, _ " says Natsuya, his grin so wide it could spread right off his face. He's going to kill Nao later, but right now, Yamazaki's news makes him want to celebrate. "We need more drinks!" 

Predictably, things go downhill from there. 

The rest of the night, Natsuya will admit, is kind of a blur. He's always sworn he isn't any kind of lightweight, but when he comes back to some form of sobriety and finds himself lying on a strange futon with a pounding headache, he considers re-evaluating that opinion.

The window is pushed open, letting in cold air that raises goose pimples on Natsuya's skin. It's dark outside but for the light of a full moon; the small digital clock on the stack of books next to his head reads 3:28AM. Natsuya thinks about how much he probably drank earlier, and concludes that this is Yamazaki's place. It's just a one-room apartment with a gas stove in the corner that looks like it gets a lot of use, and not much else. A wardrobe next to the futon has a door hanging open, showing an assortment of unpatterned clothing and drawers he supposes contain clothes as well. Other than that, there's nothing that shows any hint of what Yamazaki is like. Even the desk is spotless, only a few binders stacked neatly to one side.

Yamazaki himself is nowhere to be seen, so Natsuya closes his eyes again. He hopes he didn't do anything too forward. Probably not, otherwise Yamazaki wouldn't have hauled him back here, but still. Yamazaki is a nice guy. Natsuya has a thing for nice guys who also do stupidly brave things like get surgeries that only have a 50% chance of success. He has a  _ history. _

He drifts in and out of sleep a little more, and some time later, the doorknob turns. 

"Yamazaki," Natsuya says, without opening his eyes. From the door, there is the sound of someone taking off their shoes, and a plastic bag rustling.

"Kirishima-san. Do you have a hangover?" Yamazaki's voice is very quiet. Natsuya appreciates that he hasn't turned on the lights.

"Yeah."

"Sorry I left you alone. I just went to get some things from the convenience store."

Natsuya opens his eyes to see Yamazaki kneeling next to the futon, his brow faintly wrinkled. Natsuya wonders if he's worried, or annoyed that Natsuya has invaded his home.

"Sorry I made you take me home," says Natsuya, plucking at Yamazaki's sleeve with his fingers. "Hope I wasn't too hard to handle."

"It's okay." Natsuya watches Yamazaki's throat move when he swallows. "I just— do you want some ibuprofen? Or something to eat?"

Natsuya ignores these questions in favour of asking: "Did I throw up in your bathroom?"

There is a beat of silence, which is really answer enough.

"Yes," Yamazaki confesses, and is quick to tack on, "but it wasn't a problem."

Natsuya rolls onto his side and finds Yamazaki's lap conveniently placed to cushion his head, so he presses his forehead into Yamazaki's thighs. He can feel them tensing underneath him. "Sorry."

"It's really fine, Kirishima-san."

"People who've seen me drunk can call me by my first name," Natsuya says to Yamazaki's very well-muscled thighs. He has a strange urge to bite them, which probably means he isn't quite sober yet.

"Okay, Natsuya-san." Yamazaki definitely sounds like he's humouring a drunk person now. "I got you Ukon no Chikara from 7-11."

"You're supposed to drink the turmeric stuff  _ before _ you get drunk."

"Oh. What about Lipovitan-D?"

"I'll take it," says Natsuya, and rolls onto his back again. "But later." 

Yamazaki reaches out like he's going to touch Natsuya's face but his hand stops before it gets there. Natsuya, indignantly, pushes his head into Yamazaki's palm. Yamazaki goes still, and then he gently presses Natsuya back down to the pillow, stroking his hair off his forehead. Natsuya sighs, leaning into it.

"You better be reading these signals, Yamazaki," he grumbles half-heartedly, unable to work up any real ire because Yamazaki's cool hand feels so nice on his aching head.

"Sousuke," Yamazaki says.

"That's not my name," Natsuya points out. Yamazaki laughs, sudden and bright, and it hurts Natsuya's head but he doesn't mind.

"I know that. I mean you can call me Sousuke, too."

"Sousuke," says Natsuya, experimentally. He's rewarded with the tiniest of shivers, Sousuke's hand trembling on his forehead. "You  _ are _ reading my signals."

"They were hard to miss."

"What? Did I do something other than puke in your toilet?"

"You," Sousuke starts, and doesn't seem to know how to continue. His hand keeps stroking Natsuya's hair. Time ticks by, and Natsuya is starting to get sleepy again, before Sousuke finally says, "You're a very touchy-feely drunk, Natsuya-san."

"I'm very touchy-feely when I'm sober, too," Natsuya tells him. "You should get used to it."

"Should I?" Sousuke asks, after a small pause. He sounds like he's asking a different question. Natsuya doesn't think he's quite sober enough to answer it, but he pulls Sousuke's arm closer and presses his lips to the soft inside of his wrist. 

"Listen to your elders," says Natsuya, and lets go. Sousuke rocks back on his heels, touching his wrist with his other hand.

"I'm going to cook porridge for your elderly body," Sousuke says, only the tiniest waver in his voice showing that he's at all thrown by Natsuya's actions. He shouldn't try to hide it, Natsuya thinks, feeling a little bit sorry. Kirishima Natsuya never runs from a challenge.

"Chef Yamazaki, the customer requests tamagoyaki instead," says Natsuya, closing his eyes again. He hears Sousuke get to his feet and cross the room, and a cupboard opening.

"The customer can eat whatever the chef wants to cook," Sousuke says firmly. Natsuya smiles into the pillow and lets himself be lulled into sleep by the rhythmic thumping of a knife on a chopping board, and the faint sound of Sousuke's tuneless humming.

When he wakes up, there is tamagoyaki on the low table, and Sousuke is ladling miso soup into two bowls.

"Good morning," Natsuya says.

"Good morning. I hope you like sweet tamagoyaki," Sousuke answers, and Natsuya thinks that he could fall in love.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on Twitter under the same username if you're interested in commissioning me too :)


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